Here are 7 verses to feast on when you’re feeling lonely:

Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty (John 6:35).

Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me (Revelation 3:20).

Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst? (1 Corinthians 3:16).

Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand (Isaiah 41:10, NLT).

Where can I go from your Spirit?Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there;if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn,if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me,your right hand will hold me fast (Psalm 139: 7-10).

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers,neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 8:38-39).

Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age (Matthew 28:20, NLT).

There is a verse here for each day of the week. May you be comforted as you cry out to God and bring your loneliness to Him. Oh how He cares for you and is more than able to provide for the hunger of your soul.

Be still, and know that I am God;I will be exalted among the nations,I will be exalted in the earth.”

This can be a source of frustration for women who find deep satisfaction in checking off items on their to-do list. The notion of “being still” can weigh us down, baffle us, and maybe even sound like a far off place we must strain to find. Sure, it sounds inviting at times too, yet we aren’t sure how to get there or stay there.

Another translation of Psalm 46:10 uses, “Cease striving” in the place of “Be still.”

But the directive to “cease striving” doesn’t mean we have to stop “doing” (which is a relief for a get-it-done gal like me). This invitation to “be still” is less about physical posture and more about spiritual posture. It’s more of a state of mind vs. the state of our to-do list.

Invite your soul to settle down (instead of scurry and strive) with these three exercises:

Make a list of who God is and what He does. Start with Psalm 103. Verse by verse, list what you learn about God. For example, in verse 3a we learn that God “forgives all our sins.” So even when we are in a frantic state of mind, forgetting that we are a beloved daughter of a loving Father, He forgives us. We can stop trying to earn His love, because He has already proven it on the cross and offers us complete forgiveness through our belief in and receptivity to His Son, Jesus. When we remember who God is and what He does, we sink down into soul rest.

Make a list of what you are to do (from a spiritual standpoint). Revisit Psalm 103. This time make a list of your role in trusting and knowing that He is God. For example, in verse 1, we learn that our soul and inmost being are to praise the Lord and bless His holy name. My tendency is to try and fix my own problems or manage my own schedule instead of remembering to praise the One who is Lord over it all—my problems, my schedule, and my try-hard heart. But Psalm 103 clearly spells what I am to do (which this to-do list gal appreciates). The burden is on God to come through in supernatural ways. Our part is to remember who He is and what He is capable of, and to believe His Word.

Ask God to help you remember what is true. Like the Israelites, I am forgetful when it comes to God’s faithfulness. Let’s ask God to help us remember what is true concerning His character and abilities. God delights in helping us in our weakness (see 2 Corinthians 12:9) and He tells us to ask Him for wisdom and not doubt that we will receive it (see James 1:5-6). Take a moment right now and pray that God would help you recall who He is and what is true.

As we implement these three steps, we begin to see that being still is more about the heart than inactivity. It’s more about trust than naps (although naps can be very good and necessary).

We can work hard, and tackle our to-do list, yet still walk out this “cease striving” verse in Psalm 46:10 as we inwardly lean into the truth of who God is and what He does.

Let’s rest in His Sufficiency as we go about out day. God is faithful to keep His Word and able to help us believe Him.

If you aren’t already a loyal blog subscriber to this site, I warmly invite you to do so. After you enter your email address, in the sign-up box, you’ll receive four free tracks from my album, Echoes of My Heart, to help you unwind. Let’s cease striving and sink into the peace that is ours in Christ.

She explained that from being brought up in a home of alcoholism and dysfunction, it caused me to have anxiety and my hyper-vigilance was a coping mechanism that I developed to protect myself.

I carried that wariness for quite some time and then my hyper-vigilance morphed into perfectionism. I thought if I worked hard enough and became “enough”, then I would earn the right to be loved, and in essence, this was still a form of protecting myself.

When I came to Christ and read, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”, I struggled for many years to understand what this passage meant.

And what in the world did He mean by a yoke being easy and a burden light?

I knew my soul needed rest but did not have a clue how to attain it. Spiritual rest seemed like it was only something you found on a weekend spiritual retreat.

After years of being bound up with restlessness, I began to realize what Jesus is saying to each of His children in this promise.

He is saying, Come to me when you are tempted to carry things you were never meant to carry on your own—your fears, coping mechanisms, doubts, your depression, bad temper, family issues, illnesses—all of it.

The enemy’s lie from the beginning is: God cannot be trusted. God is not safe, nor good. He is holding out on you so you must self-protect and do this thing on your own.

You and I have a choice to make daily: whether or not we will rest spiritually. This is not some one time thing, this is a choice we will have to make over and over again:

If we will fret in fear or fall on our knees in trust.
If we will carry the heavy weight of self-sufficiency and pride on our backs or give it over to our burden carrier.
If we will be in a constant state of motion of doing, going, and climbing to try and prove our worth, or if we will receive that we are loved just as we are.

Right now, with the state which our world is in, we can choose to be either vigilant in scanning the latest news, or we can choose if we will be vigilant in prayer.

I now know and can see the symptoms arising when I am entering into a state of spiritual restlessness.

The yoke feels so heavy I can’t take a deep breath. I begin to feel the need to strive, prove myself worthy, and self-protect. And my peace and joy are crushed under the weight.

Entering into God’s rest is choosing to believe over and over that we are safe and secure in His love. And we can enter into His rest any time of day, no matter where we are, who we are with, or whatever is going on around us.

You and I my friend no longer have to be sleeplessly watchful. We no longer have to be vigilant. We have a God who never slumbers and keeps us and protects us.

We can lay down our fears and open our hands in trust, we have a Father who is waiting for us to enter into His rest.

May we go without hesitation.

Love,
Holly

Holly is a self-proclaimed mess, she says she is one of Jesus’ ongoing patients. She is a wife of eighteen years to her husband Chad and a proud mom to two teenage sons, Brendon and Tyler. She is a bible study teacher and teaches teens, couples, and women weekly. You can find her most days blogging at hollynoelhaynes.com

P.S. Enter your email (in the box on the top right) to receive weekly encouragement. 🙂

welcome

Hi, I'm Katie (a Modern Martha, wife, and mom to five). I'm so glad you're here! Let's enjoy some cut-to-the-chase conversation over hot or iced tea, as we find grace in the unraveling of life (together). Let's exchange try-hard striving for hope-filled freedom as we settle into our position as a doer and a daughter—created by a Loving Father.
Read More...